On Twitter, Hugo Chavez announces post-surgery return to Venezuela

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced his return to his homeland on Twitter after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba in December.

"We have arrived again to the Venezuelan homeland," Chavez tweeted Monday morning, according to a translation by Deutsche Welle. "Thank you my God!! Thank you my beloved people!! We will continue the treatment here."

News of the 58-year-old's battle with cancer first emerged in June 2011, and he's undergone numerous procedures since. Chavez had been neither seen nor heard from since leaving for Cuba in December. Opposition politicians speculated about the extent of his condition.

However, the Venezuelan government, which had provided updates on his health during his absence, released photos of Chavez in hospital with his daughters Friday.

On Twitter Monday, Chavez thanked Cuba and its ruling brothers, Raul and Fidel Castro, along with those who supported him in Venezuela. Prior to his most recent posts, the last time any tweets appeared on his account was early November.

Chavez was re-elected in October; during his absence, he missed the scheduled inauguration ceremony for his fourth presidential term, which started Jan. 10.

Last month, intelligence officers raided the house of a tweeter suspected of spreading rumors about Chavez's health.